The Great Fire on London

Shortly after midnight on Sunday 2^nd September a fire went rogue in Thomas Farriner’s bakery in Pudding Lane in the City of London.

Now fires were a regularity in the City of London at this time.  Unfortunately, this one, as I said earlier went rogue.  It quickly spread to the nearby houses, then to nearby lanes, while it was a time of strong winds, it was driven west across the city, creating a most frightening fireball!

There was only one way to stop it, to create a firebreak now that mean demolishing the houses in its path.  This was a major decision and a brave one, that as you can imagine, took the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, from the break out of the fire in the middle of Saturday/Sunday night until  Sunday evening to take.  The problem was that by this time the fire was galloping across the city towards Westminster.

All this meant that by Tuesday, two days later it had destroyed most of the city, including St Pauls Cathedral, and was moving out o the city and close to Whitehall and the Kings residence.

What were they to do!

Then, they, just at that point, Westminster and the Royal Palace were saved.   The wind direction changed!

Phew! It was a close one.

The result was overwhelming social and economic problems for London, but in the end, they rebuilt London almost the same as it was before the fire.

Isn’t History interesting?

10 questions to discuss:

1. What factors made London particularly susceptible to large fires in 1666?
2. Why did the fire starting in Thomas Farriner’s bakery escalate into a city-wide disaster?
3. Explain the significance of the decision to demolish buildings for a firebreak, and why it took so long for the Lord Mayor to make it.
4. How did the changing wind direction ultimately play a role in saving Westminster and the King’s residence?
5. Beyond the destruction of St. Paul’s Cathedral, what other major landmarks or areas were affected by the fire?
6. What were the immediate social and economic consequences of the Great Fire for Londoners?
7. How did the city rebuild after the fire? What elements remained the same, and what changed?
8. Do you think the Great Fire led to any significant advancements in fire prevention or building codes?
9. Compare and contrast the Great Fire of London with other major historical fires (e.g., Chicago Fire, Great Lisbon Earthquake).
10. What lessons can we learn from the Great Fire of London, both in terms of fire safety and disaster preparedness?

These questions go beyond a simple retelling of events and encourage critical thinking, analysis, and comparison to broader historical contexts.

Can we learn the lessons from this story at these sites: